“I think the Browns are going to find a coach, someday. But a year after Chip Kelly said no, it’s clear that this is the job that’s scaring away the most candidates. And it’s clear the Browns want an offensive coach to develop the quarterback of the future. Thus the Josh McDaniels/Adam Gase/Ben McAdoo fascination.”

The Browns have two clear goals this off season.

The first is finding a coach, which appears to be more difficult than initially anticipated.

“I’m still convinced this group can not only identify, but attract and recruit the right person to come here. I’ve (gotten) to talk to people that really know the NFL. The first thing they say to me, ‘Do you know what you got there? Do you know what a great franchise that is?’

“They talk about it in terms of the Packers and the Steelers. That adds even more pressure that we get this thing right. We’re not naïve to the fact we just let a first-year head coach go, but we think we can attract the right candidate here.”

Those candidates don’t necessarily agree. Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, Penn State’s James Franklin and New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels were all linked to the opening at one point or another. Each took themselves out of the running for the position or accepted another job, as in Franklin’s case.

Gase made a decision not to interview with any teams prior to the end of the Broncos’ playoff run. Thus, the Browns will have to wait at least one more week before they can approach their top target. According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the team isn’t in a hurry to secure Gase’s services.

“The Browns are so intrigued with Gase they were willing to wait for him to finish the playoffs before interviewing him. They likely became enamored with him because of owner Jimmy Haslam’s close friendship with Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning…”

“There are no guarantees that Gase will interview, and, some close to him believe he will remain uniquely equipped to be the it coordinator a year from now. Considering he will continue to work in Denver with Peyton Manning — who set NFL records for yardage and touchdowns this regular season — and given how young Gase is, the possibility exists that a number of teams will approach him heavily next January, and he could have his pick of jobs.”

The Browns do have a fallback option in former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Munchak.

While it still seems likely Whisenhunt lands in Detroit, I did hear Mike Munchak’s Lions interview was “outstanding.” He’s with Browns today

Once the Browns hire their next head coach, the franchise must achieve their second goal, which is to find a franchise quarterback.

The Browns own the fourth-overall selection in Many’s NFL draft. The team is in prime position to select one of the top three quarterbacks: Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, UCF’s Blake Borltes or Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel.

The team is believed to be enamored with Manziel. If the Browns want to land “Johnny Football”, they may have to trade up to acquire his services.

Or, they could simply stand pat and see which quarterback is available at No. 4 overall for their new head coach to mold.

The Browns aren’t in an enviable position. The organization needs two key ingredients to finally become a viable NFL franchise. Cleveland must make the right choice in both instances if it wants to end its cycle of losing seasons and Top 10 picks.